Hitoshi, Neito, and Tetsutetsu were all tied up...in bondage style?

Katsuki slapped the back of Yuuki's head for that! He told her so many times to stop tying people up like that and she just kept doing it! At this point, she's just messing about and not taking anything seriously! 

"You don't have to be so mean, Master! I am just trying to liven up the mood!" 

"I'll liven it up by smacking the living shit out of you in a minute!" 

"Now, now, remember what we were doing." Eijirou reminded them what they have at hand; three people attacked them and they still don't know the reason why they did so. 

"Hahaha! The Phantom Thief would never tell anyone his secrets!" Neito laughed, trying to sound real tough but he's sweating a bit too obvious. 

Hitoshi sighed upon realizing there's no meaning in hiding anything. We are the Phantom Thieves. We steal what's been stolen. Our client told us you three stole a ring with a red jewel on it." 

"Yeah, about that. He broke it." Yuuki was quick to point the blame at Katsuki...it had some truth to it considering he was the one who stepped on it and let it shatter under his foot. 

"HUH?! If you weren't messing around, I wouldn't have stepped on it, would I?!" 

"What?! Master, would it kill you to admit you were in the wrong for a change?!" 

"If you weren't being such a dumbass, the ring wouldn't have blasted fire out!" 

"Wait, it's just a ring...what do you mean by blasting fire out?" Tetsutetsu asked Katsuki, "We were told it was just a normal red ring!" 

It seemed like there was a misunderstanding in between. Katsuki and Yuuki explained the ring's jewel had Magic infused so it could release Magic even if a person was just a normal human. 

Tetsutetsu looked down and he started to mumble, "What Itsuka said- it might be true! Normal people ARE forcing us Magic Users to infuse Magic into jewels for them to use Magic! They're going to wipe us out just like they did with Meiun Island!" 

Neito and Hitoshi looked at Tetsutetsu with concern. They only half believe Itsuka but to hear Katsuki's and Yuuki's account about the red jewel...it only added more truth to the theory! 

"I want to hear more. Where is this Itsuka person?" Katsuki wanted answers since they mentioned Meiun Island. The red jewel was connected to the island Michiyo was from, a premonition from a travelling monk, the rebellion that rose up in tragedy, Michiyo choosing to burn everyone...and the red jewel that's infused with Magic at the cost from a Magic User's life. There's something more sinister than just a premonition causing a rebellion, Katsuki needed to know what's going on no matter the cost! 

"You won't see that person. Why don't you die and see if you will see her in the next life?" Neito said rather bitterly. 

 "...that means she is dead." Katsuki said to him. 

"Itsuka always come up with these theories without ever writing them." Tetsutetsu said, "You're really better off asking her." He looked at his hands and he clenched his fists in anger, "I caused it! It's because I was weak that she threw herself in front of me like that...!" 

"Tetsutetsu, what happened?" Eijirou asked, trying to stop Tetsutetsu from being the floorboard; they really don't want to pay for the damages! "I'm sure it's not your fault-" 

"It is my fault! It's because I can't protect Neito and Hitoshi...! It's because I was weak that she had to jump in to protect me! Itsuka...she...she...! She protected all of us while she...!" 

"No. Tetsutetsu, I was the foolish one." Neito said to him, "It was my idea to storm the Tower of Wishes. If it wasn't because of me, I wouldn't-" 

"No! I said I would be everyone's shield! I will shield you all from pain- and what did I do?! I am less of a man needing a woman to sacrifice herself for me!" 

Tetsutetsu started to cry frustrated tears. Seeing the frustrated tears, Neito felt even worst on the inside. Hitoshi decided to walk away from the scene. 

"Such a cold guy..." Neito wasn't surprised at all Hitoshi would walk out like that. 

Yuuki looked at the door. 

Katsuki gave Yuuki a gentle push, "If you are worried, go." 

"Master..." She smiled a little and she went after Hitoshi. 

Hitoshi needed some time alone outside of the inn. He needed to have a breather from Tetsutetsu's manly tears of frustrations. 

"Hey," Yuuki greeted Hitoshi, "Your injuries..."

Hitoshi looked to his right and he saw Yuuki. He smiled a little, "I'm okay. I still need to rest more though." 

"Yet, you are here." 

"That's because if I go inside, I'll be reminded what happened at the Tower of Wishes. For the sake of a stupid wish...is it really important you'd lose a companion over it? We went in there without thinking of the consequences and now we come to regret it."  

"It's not a stupid wish." Yuuki replied, "It's something you saw worth to fight for. It might not have any meaning to anyone else, but it's something you all wanted...I think that's all it matters." 

Hitoshi smiled at her, "You're speaking from experience?" 

"Hm?" 

"You're fighting to keep on living, aren't you?" 

"Hitoshi..." She wondered how come he could understand her despite their meeting only for the first time. 

"Maybe you and I are the same?" 

"...we are not." 

"I mean in the sense of we both have something to hide from the others. Not because of what we are." 

Yuuki wondered how he knew she wasn't human. "This is the first time someone can see through me like glass." 

"There is a first time for everything, isn't there?" Hitoshi patted her on the head, "What you said, it's something you see worth to fight for so you shouldn't feel down about it either." 

"Hitoshi..." 

Because they were the same that they could understand one another's pain. Because the two of them walked a similar path that they could somewhat understand one another and know how to comfort the other. 

"Thank you." She said to him as they both looked up at the moon...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Katsuki decided to go out and buy some stuff for their next journey. Katsuki told Yuuki he found a way to get his memories back completely; he's going to make a wish at the Tower of Wishes. Even after hearing Tetsutetsu's story of how they lost their comrade, Katsuki believed it will be fine and they will succeed what they didn't succeed in. He's willing to partake in the challenge of reaching the top of Tower of Wishes and wish for all of his memories to come back; there might be parts of the story only he knew and Michiyo doesn't. 

"That is very clever, Master! We should totally go and make a wish!" Her tail swished left and right out of excitement for the next adventure. She couldn't wait! 

"Good." 

"We'll go right away! What about Hitoshi and the others?" 

"I doubt they want to go there again." 

"Oh..." 

"Did talking to Hitoshi help?" 

Yuuki smiled, "Yep! Hitoshi look mean, but he means well." 

"Right. Wait here." 

Yuuki waited and waited and soon Katsuki returned.

"Here you fucking go, you ugly wolf. Hold out your hands." 

She did as he said an she held her hands out. She felt him drop something cold onto her palms. A silver chain with a heart locket...the heart started to play a soft music once it's opened. 

Yuuki stared at the locket with awe; the music was mesmerizing and beautiful. It felt as if the song was cleansing her very soul. 

"Master, this is beautiful..."

"You better like it. You've been complaining I won't let you buy anything so I'll buy you something." 

Yuuki looked at him and then at the tiny little music box that was able to create such beautiful noise. She turned it around and Katsuki saw there was a single long scratch on it. When Katsuki saw it, he was about to snatch the locket from her and demand the shopkeeper give him a better one. 

"No! No! I am happy with this one!" 

"Hah?! It has a fucking scratch on it!" 

A thought came to mind and Yuuki decided to use her pointer to make her nail very sharp. She then started to make two more scratches on it so the single scratch on the back looked like the letter K. "See, Master? K for Katsuki~!" 

"You cheesy piece of shit..." When he turned away from her, there was a small smile on his face. "You could have got a better one." 

"This one is good because this is the first thing Master ever got for me." If Katsuki had turned around, he'd be able to see Yuuki's sweet smile just for him. "I'll treasure it for the rest of my life, Master!" 

"You better!" 

...

And so it was the time to move the story onto its next Arc. 

The Tower of Wishes was located in the middle of the sea in the North of where they were. They could get there by riding Eijirou's back while in his Dragon form. 

Yuuki jumped onto Eijirou's back, she's ready for her next adventure with Katsuki and Eijirou. 

"Wait!" It was Tetsutetsu. He looked very determined for some reason. "Take us with you!" With him was Neito and Hitoshi. 

"Why should I let you ride my dragon?" Katsuki asked them, "You were quivering before." 

"I know...that's why I hated myself for it. I need to go back there and make things right again! I'm not going to let Itsuka die like that! I'm going to beat the last boss and claim the wish for myself!" He wanted to make things right again. If he had so much time to take requests and pretend the whole Tower of Wishes didn't happen, why not brave it once again and try to make things right? "Each and every day, I am reminded of what happened...! If I can't make things right again, I can't call myself a man!" 

"...get on." Katsuki said to him, "We'll have a race to see who can defeat the last boss!" 

"Hmph! Just to let you know, we are all very strong in our own rights! Don't be surprised if we one up you guys from out of nowhere!" Neito said with a very smug look on his face. 

"Should you be acting so smugly when you are one person down? Get on, losers!" 

Once everyone's on the dragon, they're ready to take off! To the Tower of Wishes! 

...

"By the way...where is Eijirou?" Tetsutetsu asked, completely oblivious Eijirou IS the dragon. "What? No way! That's awesome! He is the dragon?!" 

"Sorry, he is a little slow at some situations." Hitoshi said to Yuuki. 

"No need! We have a bad temper Katsuki with us! It evens it out!" Yuuki smiled at Hitoshi. 

"Oi! At least I am not a dumbass pain in the backside! Shut the fuck up!" Katsuki slapped the back of Yuuki's head again! 

"I-I feel sick..." Neito said in a very quiet voice, he looked quite pale. Perhaps he's getting travel sick? 

"What a weakling." Katsuki muttered. 

Katsuki looked ahead and he could barely see a tower. 

"Just letting you know, you can't just ram your way through the very top. Magic protects the entire thing. The only way in is the entrance." If Hitoshi did not suddenly say that, Katsuki and Yuuki would have encouraged Eijirou to ram right into the very top and take down the boss with his big massive dragon-fied body! 

Katsuki and Yuuki did not say a thing, they're hoping Hitoshi would just drop the subject there. 

However, Hitoshi was not a kind person, "I bet you two were planning on telling Eijirou to ram the top of the tower." 

"Geh..." Yuuki hid her face against Katsuki's back as if it would help with anything. 

When they finally made it to the Tower of Wishes, they realized it was a pure white tower standing majestically. The very top of the tower was so high up and even pierced through the clouds! 

"I didn't think we would be back here again..." Neito said after a gulp. 

Tetsutetsu hesitated a little when standing at front of the opened entrance that will take them right into the first floor. "This is it..." 

Yuuki looked at the silent Hitoshi to see he was staring at the entrance. She gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "Don't hesitate. Remember what you are fighting for." 

"Yuuki..." Hitoshi might not have asked for it but maybe he needed that. 

Katsuki looked at Eijirou, "Will you be okay?" After transforming into a dragon, he will not be able to use Magic for 24 hours. Will he be okay with just relying on his strength alone? 

"Don't underestimate me, Katsuki!" He hit his fists together, "Even without Magic, I am capable of fighting. Leave all the brawling to me!" 

Katsuki grinned after hearing that. That's all he needed before stepping forward. "Let's go!" 

This will be a test of how much one's worth was worth fighting for! 

Katsuki opened his eyes to see nothing but total darkness. What was going on? Where's everyone? What was he stepping on? He looked down and he saw a skeletal remains of a dead person. Whose bones does it belong to?! 

"...!" He stepped away from it but he nearly tripped over a skull. "Eijirou! Yuuki!" He shouted into the void but he heard no one's reply. He was alone in a world where only remains existed. "Ah!" He tripped again. What he was seeing was Eijirou's corpse. "Eijirou?! What the fuck?!" Spread around him were torn up body parts of Neito, Tetsutetsu, and Hitoshi. The smell was fresh blood was evident in the air, it was much worst than being at the slaughter house! "You fucking losers...Yuuki- where's Yuuki?! Yuuki!" He started to run away from the hellish slaughter. Where? Where was his stupid servant wolf?! 

But no matter where he ran, no matter which direction he went, he will always return to the corpses of the ones who had fallen. 

"Master...Master...!" 

He could hear it...it was a very faint voice, but he could hear it. He could hear Yuuki calling for him! 

"Master! Over here!" 

Katsuki closed his eyes so he could hear it properly. It's coming from above! 

He used his explosions and he started to blast his way to the very top of the darkness. However, he bumped into something invisible, it felt like an invisible wall and when he bumped into it face first, it hurts like freaking hell! 

"Damn you...!" 

As he fell, he felt many hands grabbed at him, pawing him, trying to drag him into the endless darkness. He could see the faces of some dead people he had never seen in his life telling him to join them. 

"Dragon Magic: Dragon Gauntlet" "Steel Magic: Steel Gauntlet!" Eijirou and Tetsutetsu used their Magic to break away the hands from Katsuki! 

"Eijirou! Steel freak!" 

"Sorry about that, Katsuki. I didn't think I'd fall into an illusion!" 

That explained why Katsuki saw corpses of him and the others. 

"You're good, Katsuki! You've managed to keep your consciousness in this illusion all on your own!" Tetsutetsu gave Katsuki the thumbs up! 

"How do you have your consciousness?" Katsuki wanted to know what happened with them. 

"Yuuki is probably the only one awake in real time. She used her Magic to call for us!" Eijirou heard footsteps and he saw Neito and Hitoshi. They must have been woken up too. 

"That wolf..." He grinned knowing Yuuki's always there to support and be useful. 

"Master! Master!" 

He decided to blast his way up once again. This time, he pressed his hand against the invisible wall and he broke through it with an explosive hit! 

...

Waking up in real time, his hand reached out and he felt Yuuki's warm hands held his own. 

He looked at her to see her usual smile.

"Good morning, Master~."